The Play that Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre ****

Unable to get a day ticket for war horse, I managed to wrangle a ticket for a very different type of play. The Play that Goes Wrong hosts the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society putting on their latest amdram production of a murder mystery and, as the title suggests, all does not go to plan. This is clearly a 10 minute skit stretched out for a 2 hour show but the laugh a minute means that I didn't mind quite how repetitive it was. It is truly one of the funniest things I have ever seen.From the start when you enter to find the crew searching for a Duran Duran CD and a dog to the society's manager breaking down mid scene. It plays on every actors fears and each small thing that goes wrong or is improvised has an effect on the rest of that show. Each small thing also leads to even bigger things. This seems like it is not going to stray far from the West End in the near future and certainly would not complain if I got the chance to see this fantastically memorable production again.

Tree, The Old Vic ***

When I entered the auditorium for the 11am matinee (11am!!!), the first thing I saw was the most magnificent tree. Reaching up to the auditorium, it was the only piece of set on the stage until about ten minutes prior to the performance when the two performers came onto stage with masking tape and set up the rest of the set. The play itself is quite astonishing. It lets you assume things about Kitson's and Key's characters before proving you wrong and then proving you wrong again. It is not hilariously, joke a second funny;but funny in a Radio 4 comedy drama way. Both actors are very naturalistic in their roles which are played extremely well, despite Kitson being hidden from view for the majority of the show. Overall, it is asatisfying way to spend your Saturday morning.

Here Lies Love, Dorfman Theatre ****

Natalie Mendoza in Here Lies Love

Nothing is as invasive on the senses as entering the Dorfman on it's inaugural production since being refurbished. Set out as a nightclub, you are encouraged into this space by wranglers dancing manically in pink jumpsuits to deafening music. Each piece of stage moves in, out and around throughout this experience. It acts as Miss Saigon meets Evita on crack. Telling the remarkable story of Imelda Marcos, this experience is like nothing I have ever seen. The story may lack some drive and if you aren't in the pit, the experience would be massively reduced. It was a whirlwind hour and a half and if theatre needs to adapt to modern culture, this is the way to go.

White Christmas, Dominion Theatre **

The cast in White Christmas

Well it wasn't all awful!

The musical adaptation of Irving Berlin's film has finally made it's way to the West End spreading good cheer and peace to all men 8 times a week. Yes it is one dimensional, yes it's too sentimental, sacarin and sweet and yes it has one of the cheesiest plot lines in theatre (that's saying something) but I liked it. Perhaps it's because I saw it on Boxing Day or perhaps Berlin's gift of the melody won me over but I came out with a smile on my face. The ensemble are spectacular with wonderous tap routines and singing up to the same standard as any other show you can see. They are let down, however, by rather unconvincing performances from the leads (Aled Jones was not in this particular performance). The show itself also has one major problem. The producers can clearly not identify the difference between cinema and theatre as the show is trying to be a film just in real life. However, despite these major problems, it does what it has set out to do which is to spread the Christmas spirit to the audience.

Electra, The Old Vic ****

Kristen Scott Thomas in Electra

It is astounding that a show like Electra is not the best show on the cut this season. With productions of Miller and Williams tearing up the West End, this production isn't quite up to the same standard. However, having said that, it's still a remarkable production of Mcguinness' translation of the tragedy by Sophocles. The set is simple but effective and the acting is some of the best around. Kristen Scott Thomas is especially good, with her despair for the death of her father coming across in a way which touches her audience, the same way as Anderson's Blanche and Armitage's Proctor does. The play has stood the test of time and is shown in an almost perfect way. In most years, this show would have an overhaul of awards but I feel that, with so many amazing productions this year, this masterpiece may be forgotten quite quickly.

Memphis, Shaftesbury Theatre ****

The Cast of Memphis the musical

So many of the musicals that come over the pond in theatre's attempt to attract non- middle class, white, balding men to see their shows lose what, in my opinion, is key to theatre. Emotion. The big rock extravaganzas to the pop jukebox musical, these shows have come over here and either succeeded or failed but either way has lost sight of connecting on a deep level with it's audience. Any theatre must have emotion holding it together, whether it is the hatred in The Scottsboro Boys to the pain in Les Mis.This show manages to maintain emotion whilst still being rip- roaringly good fun. Unlike Made in Dagenham, the race issue is portrayed not in a sweetened or preachy sense but through the narrative and high quality music from David Bryan. Occasionaly, the lyrics are slightly too basic and sometimes it can seem to be just a rip- off of Hairspray but I don't mind that as it will live long in the memory far beyond the likes of other new musicals in the west end at the moment. Performance- wise, the actors/ dancers/ singers have such talent with dancing to the standard of Banks and voices that would not be seen out of place in a recording studio. This is a truly remarkable musical which caught me off guard and has the potential to run for a very long time.

Henry IV Part 1, Barbican Centre ***

The Company of Henry IV part 1

 After being left disappointed by Gregory Doran's take on part 2 of the Bard's play, when I got a day ticket to the first part, my expectations were low. Luckily, the Henry IV part 1 is substantially better then part 2. As it is, in my opinion, Shakespeare's best play, it would have taken a truly terrible performance to put me off liking it. There are still the problems that were present in Stratford. I still found Sher's Falstaff to be too smug and dis-likeable for me and the production feels a bit too safe. However, the jokes still made me chuckle even if they were not as big as the Globe's laughs, and the battle is very effective. One thing I noticed as well was Englishby's score which is superb, with the main theme 'Urbs Beatta Jerusalem' sending shivers up my spine. Whilst this is far from perfection, it is quite a bit better than it's second part.

God Bless the Child, Royal Court *****

Amanda Abbington and the children in God Bless the Child

Wow! Just wow!
The Royal Court have done it this time. This play models theatre that is exiting, dynamic and thoughtful. This play is about a primary school class testing a new scheme of learning and a revolution which occurs within the class room. After coming out of Hope on Saturday, I bought the playtext of this play and was instantly amazed by it. Over that weekend, I re- read it four times and then finally managed to grab a ticket for the show on Tuesday. Walking into the theatre was like walking back into primary school.The set wasn't a set. It was a classroom with children playing about and behaving exactly as we behaved 'back in the day'. Then when the action begins, you are totally hooked. Performance wise, everyone is superb. The child cast I saw was the one where Louie was a girl but the idea of having the lead child being played both by a girl and a boy is a superb casting decision. Their stamina is impressive and the fact that they are maintaining such high energy performances this late on in the run is impressive. As far as the adult cast is concerned, Amanda Abbington puts in a performance which is far superior to her boyfriends attempt at Richard III. Ony Uhiara as Ms Newsome reminds me of many of the better primary school teachers I once had and Nikki Amuka- Bird is perfect at showing the conflicted Ms Evitt. Hesmondhalgh is wonderful too as the kind Mrs Bradley. Original plays such as these ought to be replacing durge, such as The Mousetrap, on the west end in order to show off to the world what our country's talent can do.